Hush
by Floor-Ninja
Summary: Sometimes giving a little can go a long way. Enjoy the ride.


**Author: **Ninja  
**Description: **_Sometimes giving a little can go a long way. Enjoy the ride._  
**Pairing: **Gunmax/Shadowmaru.  
**Rated: **M for smut. Pure smut. (Tactile)

* * *

It had taken a bit of cajoling (make that a _lot_ of cajoling and more than a few compromises, many of which were better left unsaid) to get Gunmax to cooperate, but it had been worth the effort.

The idea had formulated slowly. It was already late in the Decker Room. The rest of the Braves, barring himself and Gunmax, had long since retired to the garage for a night's recharge. The big screen was on and streaming some automotive show. The volume was loud, the lights off, and the screen awash with the myriad colors and shapes of dozens of vehicles. Shadowmaru recognized cars, trucks, and motorcycles – there were quite a few of those – and when the announcer thanked the Highway Patrol for their charitable contribution to "make this event a reality" the ninja looked up in time to see Gunmax frown.

Shadowmaru continued to observe the other Brave. Gunmax sat on top of their desk with his legs crossed, one hand braced behind him and the other tapping a string of empty notes across the top of his thigh. His visored gaze was locked on the screen. Shadowmaru sat just behind Gunmax in his chair with a number of files strewn before him. The monitor to his computer was on. Shadowmaru couldn't be bothered to remember what it was he had been doing.

Instead he continued to gaze while his optics dimmed in thought. Gunmax was beautiful to him, and in many ways, not all of which were easy to articulate. It was, nonetheless... an easy admission. The biker's face was still creased with a slight frown. It was one of those frowns that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside, utterly self-directed, and it was a blot on the otherwise perfect scene before him.

Shadowmaru found himself standing. Gunmax looked up when the winged mech came around to stand next to him, his violet frame half-leaning on the desk. The frown had vanished.

They watched some of the show together. They laughed at bits, pointing out various vehicles that reminded them of their fellow Braves. Gunmax had begun to relax, his posture loosening. Shadowmaru chose that moment to hack the vid-screen. The room descended into silence when the volume was cut off. The visual continued to play uninterrupted.

Gunmax gave him an inquiring look. Shadowmaru smiled and leaned in, his head half-tilted and optics hooded. The brush of his hand against the green mech's thigh was an inquiring one. He'd never initiate anything without full confidence that Gunmax wanted it. When the biker didn't pull away, Shadowmaru made his proposition.

Which is why Gunmax was now propped on the edge of the desk with his knees cupping either side of the winged mech's waist. Shadowmaru threaded their hands together and pulled one of Gunmax's behind his back where Shadowmaru could keep it braced. The other hand, smaller and more tapered than his own, the shapeshifter led to his mouth. His lips parted and flashed a small, mysterious smile. Gunmax watched him closely, his own lips firmly shut.

It was part of the deal: Gunmax was not allowed to speak. It had been why Shadowmaru had resorted to cajoling in the first place. Not many things could convince Gunmax to stay quiet.

(The biker was going to be on _cloud nine_ for the rest of the week with all the concessions Shadowmaru had given just to make this happen. Goodbye, dignity.)

Shadowmaru brought the delicate knuckles to his lips and brushed the two things together. Gunmax's fingers twitched once in response. At this distance, in this silence, the slight jump of gears and the hum of needle-thin circuitry and actuators was as loud as a gunshot to Shadowmaru's acute senses. The smile remained, his optics brimming with light. Gunmax shifted. Shadowmaru brushed a thumb across the smooth plane of the green mech's fingers before flicking his tongue out and drawing one of them into his mouth.

Gunmax stiffened. The optics behind the visor flashed. Shadowmaru hummed to himself, low and harmonic, and it was more of a steady vibration than a sound. It raced through his lips and trembled against the conductive metal of Gunmax's fingers. The biker shifted again and the legs on either side of Shadowmaru pushed inward. The shapeshifter's tongue traced the contours of the knuckle perched between his teeth. He could taste the tang of alloy and smell the faint scent of fuel and of cities and highways and even the ocean. Current prickled at the tip of his tongue and the swell of his lips as he gave the digit a gentle suck, prompting Gunmax to make an indistinguishable noise. The other fingers curled against his hand and he rubbed his thumb against them, all too aware of the thrumming of Gunmax's system through the fuel lines that threaded just beneath the metal plating.

Shadowmaru's hands were comparably larger and more powerful, the fingertips less tapered, each joint quick and flexible and built for grip. This was useful when utilizing his myriad of weapons. It was also useful now. He channeled that strength into a gentle press against Gunmax's palm. The metal plates beneath his thumb split, the gaps of Gunmax's palm spreading open enough for him to flick his tongue against and into.

Gunmax's finger was still caught between his teeth. Shadowmaru applied a bit of pressure against it, biting down gently, his hum intensifying when Gunmax squirmed. Shadowmaru then slid his hand around to cup the back of Gunmax's own. There he squeezed, encouraging the fingers to open from their ever tightening curl. A small sound escaped Gunmax's vocalizer. Shadowmaru chose to ignore it. It wasn't talking... not _technically_.

Shadowmaru sucked another finger into his mouth. His humming deepened. Gunmax's optics were locked on his. The ninja met the other gaze without fear, his own optics bright and unashamed. Let Gunmax see how much he wanted him. Let Gunmax see how valued he was here in the present, far away from old, unhappy far-off things. It was, after all, the entire point of this exercise.

It was a point that went unspoken. Maybe the other mech would catch on. He was clever.

Shadowmaru began moving his mouth against the hand. His teeth grazed across the knuckles, tugging at the armored gaps and renewing their bite when Gunmax's fingers curled again. It was warm now. It tasted tangier, sharper, laced with charge. The winged Brave pulled back slightly, his lips dragging over the somewhat shaking fingers, purring into the suction it created and only stopped when his lips just barely perked against the tips of the fingers themselves. Gunmax's engine whined. Shadowmaru let go of them with a soft popping sound.

He turned Gunmax's hand over. The legs around his waist had grown tighter. Gunmax squeezed at his hips when Shadowmaru pulled the biker's hand back so that the palm and wrist were exposed. His smile returned when he leaned in and pressed his lips against the sleek metal. He stopped and gave the palm a nuzzle, rubbing his cheek and jaw across the delicate curves. His tongue flicked out again and traced the seams that raced along every joint. The hand he held pinned behind Gunmax's back convulsed in his. Shadowmaru chuckled, his hum faltering momentarily.

"How am I doing?" he murmured into the heated metal. Gunmax groaned. Shadowmaru let his mouth trace downwards. "Ah, I'm sorry." He was smug now. "You can't answer."

Gunmax bucked into him. Shadowmaru pulled the hand back farther; so far that the exposed circuits connecting the armor of Gunmax's hand and arm were bared. The ninja nuzzled his nose into the gap before grazing his teeth along the biggest cable.

The smaller mech _hissed_. Shadowmaru warmed the cables with his mouth, teasing them with soft plucks of his teeth and licked at the snaps of static that arced across his lips at the contact. The shocks were small, too small to be painful, but they made his mouth tingle and allowed him to capture the charge in the alloy of his lips and kiss it back into Gunmax's system. Shadowmaru hadn't quite expected to get this kind of reaction.

It was...nice. It meant he was doing a good job. He felt his systems warm in pleasure at this revelation (briefly. This was all about Gunmax, not him.) Now he just needed to keep it up. He let his optics dim again and gave the cables another kiss before raking his tongue up the palm and pressing each of Gunmax's fingers against his lips, his venting coming out hot and measured through the space between the digits.

"Now, master," Shadowmaru said, giving the fingertips another gentle suck. His optics booted back up. Gunmax looked strained. "I'm going to do this to your whole body." He squeezed the hand and drew each finger into his mouth, kissing them one by one. Then, with a vague smile: "Okie-dokie?"

The biker was biting his own lip. Shadowmaru found himself staring at the way it pinched between Gunmax's teeth. Temptation gripped him. In that moment he wanted absolutely nothing more than to break that lip free and take that mouth in his own and kiss the invisible bruising away with a kiss so gentle it would _hurt_, and then he'd push Gunmax onto the desk and work him into the top of it so thoroughly there wouldn't a sensor left in his frame that hadn't been blown. And then he'd wrap his arms around him and pull him close and press into the corner of that carelessly grinning mouth with his own and murmur whatever happened to come to mind, whatever came to mind, in the only way he knew how in the event Gunmax somehow forgot just how much he meant since this whole thing had started.

Needless to say it was an incredibly powerful compulsion and the vivid imagery didn't help. Shadowmaru licked at his own lips, his optics brightly flickering and locked on Gunmax's. The compulsion morphed into an ache. Shadowmaru tore his gaze away, retaining his composure (somehow,) and twisted Gunmax's arm so that he could trace his mouth over it instead. He had a script to stick to. There were so many places on Gunmax's frame that had gone without attention for far too long.

Shadowmaru worked his way up the arm. He traced the plating creases on instinct, marveling at how streamlined Gunmax's build was. It was deceptive. Gunmax's strength did not lie in physical prowess. This did not make him any less attractive, however. Shadowmaru knew what a beautifully crafted weapon looked like. He carried many of them in his frame.

The green mech in question made a strained sound. Shadowmaru stretched the arm to its full length. He then nibbled at the crook of said arm where all the joints were. The protective fabric that peeked beneath the armor rolled between his lips and he gave it a sharp tug with his teeth. Gunmax's arm jerked, his fingers flexing. Shadowmaru hummed louder and continued working his way up.

He came to Gunmax's chest and took a moment to immerse himself in the heady thrumming of the Motorcycle Detective's overcharged systems. It was a harsh sound that was overwhelmingly loud in the empty room. Shadowmaru let the sound of it echo through him and allowed himself another brief flash of pleasure at the thought of him being the cause before raking his teeth over the golden badge etched into the green armor. Gunmax arched forward. Shadowmaru took the opportunity to pin both of Gunmax's hands behind his back.

The biker mech was starting to pant. Shadowmaru trailed lower, his mouth following the tapering curve of Gunmax's waist. The shapeshifter's body slid into a squat in front of the desk the lower he went. Gunmax began to renew his squirming. His legs, still attempting to lock their way around Shadowmaru's middle, struggled to keep the ninja in place. Shadowmaru flicked his tongue against Gunmax's middle before ducking down to nudge one of the biker's pale thighs to the side with his nose.

His nose was not the most practical tool for this sort of thing, however. Shadowmaru shifted his grip so that he could keep Gunmax's hands pinned using just one of his own. He let his now free one trace over the bulk of the lighter mech's hip and down along the slope of his body. Shadowmaru took a moment to circle one of the red accents on the front of Gunmax's pelvis and was rewarded with a muffled moan.

He returned his attention to Gunmax's thigh. Bracing his hand under Gunmax's knee, Shadowmaru then lifted the leg in question and eased it further out. This exposed a myriad of delicate cables wrapped in fabric where Gunmax's leg joined his hip. Shadowmaru dove in and started suckling, his mouth roving and shameless. Gunmax bucked into him and swore. The ninja decided to let that one slide as well.

Shadowmaru couldn't count on Gunmax behaving himself forever, though. The biker's movements were starting to become desperate. Shadowmaru worked the inside of Gunmax's thigh and let his tongue drag counter to the exposed cables, enjoying the feeling of them being plucked and manipulated by quick flicks from the tip of his tongue. The hand he had braced under Gunmax's knee shifted so he could slide two of his fingers up into the back of the joint located there. He began rubbing against it and Gunmax's leg began to tremble.

The green mech was practically hissing his moans by then, doubtless still trying his best to keep quiet. It didn't help when Shadowmaru dipped his chin in and gave the inside of Gunmax's thigh a hard bite. Current crackled across his lips and raced up the inside of Gunmax's leg. Shadowmaru sucked gently at the place he'd bitten and let his hum devolve into a husky purr. He was enjoying himself far too much. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing as long as he kept sight of what had brought his face to become half-buried in Gunmax's crotch. (The answer was Gunmax himself, of course.)

Shadowmaru pulled back and rubbed the side of his helmet against the span of Gunmax's inner thigh in an impromptu nuzzle. The ridges decorating his helm scrapped rhythmically across the sleek metal. Gunmax writhed. The green and gold-accented chest above Shadowmaru's head heaved.

The ninja let the leg drop when he shifted his grip once more. His hand jumped down to Gunmax's calf and the curving white armor that made it so distinctive. It was truly an exquisite design. Shadowmaru pressed his lips against the inside of Gunmax's knee and rubbed the top of the biker's foot. The hands he had pinned were starting to strain against his grip.

He couldn't stay there forever, though. The rest of Gunmax's body was calling. So, too, was Shadowmaru's – as much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn't deny the ache that had set roots throughout his frame. Everything in him pulsed. He needed to be closer. He needed – well, he really needed to have his hands raking possessively all over and under Gunmax's armor and he really, _really_ needed to have those moans happening right next to his audio sensors and it would be really, _really_ kind of nice to have those perfectly sculpted legs thrown over his shoulders so he could get into all those little tight spots and give them a work over -

Shadowmaru grit his teeth when the ache flared and escaped as a grinding noise from somewhere in his chest. Okay, he really needed to get his processor (and imagination) under control. Fortunately Gunmax couldn't see the struggle pass over his face from where he was stooped, so he hadn't managed to break his composure, at least. There was more work to be done.

Shadowmaru shifted his weight. Gunmax – whose head had been thrown back – looked down, his lips parted with the force of his venting. Shadowmaru quirked his head up at him and moved to slide back up the familiar white and green body. Gunmax arched forward, inviting the movement. The winged mech hesitated before the slow, mysterious smile returned to his face. He then...turned to Gunmax's other leg.

Realization barely had time to flicker across Gunmax's face when Shadowmaru swapped hands and lifted said leg. This time the violet mech wasted no time – his mouth swept up the lower span of the limb and dragged down the span of the knee, stopping only to give the armored pauldron there a rough graze with his teeth. As Shadowmaru made his way back up the thigh and forced Gunmax's leg to part with another aggressive nudge of his head he took the time to give himself some mental coaching. The movements of his mouth against the exposed joint was practiced now, and as Gunmax bucked and cried overhead Shadowmaru took the time to remind himself that he was a rational and calm individual and he would see this through. It seemed to work – he felt himself relax, felt the familiar well of resolve return.

Shadowmaru shifted himself upward and let the leg go. He reached around Gunmax's middle and freed the hand that had been pinned at his back since the beginning of this little experiment. He worked on interlacing their fingers and keeping the hand otherwise occupied as he slid his tongue up the interlocking armor of Gunmax's midsection and chest. He came to a stop just in front of Gunmax's chest once more, and once more his head reverberated with the growl of the other Brave's overclocked system. Shadowmaru smiled to himself and leaned in, pressing his mouth over the spot Gunmax's heart "should" be. The hand gripping his own tightened, the digits digging in.

Up and over the arm he went. The familiar angles, contours and curves – no matter how often he mapped them, no matter how many files he appended to his memory, it seemed like he never got tired of exploring them. It didn't make much sense – the information itself hadn't changed. It seemed, then, that the source of the constant revision was Shadowmaru himself. Outside of repair work Gunmax's form was constant. How Shadowmaru experienced it every time –_ that _was the variable.

It was an interesting thought. Shadowmaru locked his fingers against Gunmax's and tugged the newly released hand back. His lips were hot against the already overheated palm. The tingling from earlier returned. This time the charge crawling between their bodies was more pronounced and the tickling sensation spread past the swell of his lips to white planes of his jaw and chin. It almost... well, _tickled_.

Shadowmaru heard himself laugh a little laugh as he gave the exposed wrist wiring a hard nip and was rewarded by another shock. He looked up at Gunmax and slid the green mech's slender digits against his bottom lip. Gunmax's stare behind the visor was intense, the warm orange and gold of his optics flaring behind the glass. It looked as though the biker could snap at any moment. Shadowmaru felt some of his earlier excitement return at the prospect but promptly stomped it back down in favor of retaining his hard-won composure. He nibbled at the tapered fingertips and gave the mech before him a long look.

"Mh," he murmured. "So what have I missed..?" Shadowmaru fanned his own fingers across the back of Gunmax's hand and gave the biker's knuckles a gentle stroke. Gunmax's entire expression was tight. His lip was still half-bitten. Shadowmaru tried not to look at it for too long.

The answer was obvious. Gunmax's neck and head were utterly untouched. This was, in Shadowmaru's humble opinion, one of the more worthwhile zones to go exploring with one's mouth, but in this instance it was also the most dangerous. The winged mech was well aware that if Gunmax managed to lock lips with him, then... well, he wasn't sure what would happen. The script could very well go flying out the window (the Decker Room had no windows but they could get creative.) This would need to be approached with caution.

Shadowmaru leaned in. Gunmax had long since locked his legs back around the ninja's middle and Shadowmaru carefully eased their hands around behind Gunmax's back once more. Gunmax lifted his chin in an almost challenging gesture. Shadowmaru tilted his head, curious. His green optics brightened.

"I see a spot," he announced, and ducked in to kiss Gunmax on the collar. The biker mech squirmed. Shadowmaru laughed again. "And another," he continued, darting over to kiss the opposite side of Gunmax's neck. Gunmax made a choking sound (it was unclear whether it was laughter or a protest or a moan or some mixture of all three.) Shadowmaru found himself humming again. His nose traced up to the curve of Gunmax's jaw.

"And yet another..." He planted a number of quick kisses along said jaw and stopped to bump his forehead against Gunmax's chin. "When will I get my fill?"

The lighter Brave arched his body into Shadowmaru and gave a sharp rev of his engine. Someone was feeling _frisky_. And more than a bit impatient, by the sound of things. Shadowmaru kissed at his neck again and let his tongue flirt up the side. He toyed with the idea of giving it a good bite but opted not to... for _now_. He felt his nose scrape at the far curve of Gunmax's visor as he leaned up to inspect the biker's cap. The brim was always a good spot for a nibble or two. The antennae was a good spot as well. No, scratch that. The antenna was an _excellent_ spot. It was just a bit out of reach at the moment.

Shadowmaru pulled back. His optics searched Gunmax's face. Their noses almost touched; their vents warmed each other's lips. Like before, there was no shame in Shadowmaru's gaze. Without thinking he lifted one of his hands and reached up to brush at Gunmax's face. His thumb traced the thin line that split the other mech's cheek. Gunmax's mouth parted. Shadowmaru's stroke ended just shy of the corner of it.

All the things he wanted to do to this lively green mech flashed to the forefront of Shadowmaru's mind. He felt himself inhale sharply at the sudden influx of imagery. The hand he had braced against Gunmax's cheek faltered. For a split second the composure slipped, but just like that it was up again. Shadowmaru leaned in and gave the tip of Gunmax's nose a quick kiss, angling his head away before either of them could jump at the chance to try for more.

"Gunmax," he murmured. "Master. I'm going to kiss you." He heard Gunmax's ventilations increase sharply. Shadowmaru pulled back so they were looking at one another again. "It will be slow. I want you to enjoy it." The ninja leaned in again, his hand falling and his lips taking his thumb's place next to the corner of Gunmax's mouth. "Then I'm going to give you a choice." The desire for Gunmax to push up against him, to turn his head and close the distance was overwhelming. Shadowmaru's A.I. was spinning but he managed to keep his voice level as he continued,

"The first choice: I pleasure you. Roughly. The second choice: I pleasure you. Gently."

Gunmax writhed. Shadowmaru kept their hands pinned against the desk.

"Whichever one you don't choose..." Shadowmaru smiled. "...We'll save for later."

The tension rippling through Gunmax's frame was palpable. The biker's jaw was locked tight, his frame utterly stiff save for a brief tremor that raced through him. He was close to snapping. Shadowmaru could feel it like a coming storm, and when he finally tilted his head and took Gunmax's mouth in his he imagined it was a welcome relief for both of them.

The movements were slow. It was...agonizing. The whine of Gunmax's systems reverberated against Shadowmaru's lips and tickled the tongue he was using the trace the inner contours of the other mech. Current crawled between them, prickling with the friction, and Shadowmaru deepened the kiss further. He heard himself groan and shivered; his composure was starting to fray. Gunmax pushed harder against him.

The kiss began to roughen as their movements picked up speed. The tangy taste of Gunmax, the scent of him, it was – it was _everything_ in that moment. It clouded every sensor, muddled every thought. Shadowmaru tried to remember the script he'd prepared. When he did, he tried to pull away.

Something in Gunmax _snarled_. He sank his teeth into Shadowmaru's bottom lip and jerked. Their mouths crashed back together. A whimper escaped Shadowmaru before he could stop it as the biker mech practically devoured him, muffling all protest.

He tried to resist. He really did. But just as Shadowmaru had suspected would happen, Gunmax now owned him. He didn't even realize he'd let go of Gunmax's hands until he felt the weight of the green mech's arms wrap around his neck. The pressure intensified when Gunmax squeezed. Shadowmaru's cortex exploded with static as the warm feeling of pleasure returned, wrapping around him almost as tightly as Gunmax himself. He grit his teeth at the force of it, overwhelmed by the skipping of his own system, his A.I. briefly wiped white by the intensity. Gunmax forced his mouth back open and moaned into the ninja's overheated panting.

Shadowmaru didn't resist when Gunmax dragged him down on top of him. He didn't fight the desire. He immersed himself instead, reveling in Gunmax's increasingly shameless cries of pleasure as Shadowmaru indulged every corner of his imagination with the green mech's frame. His hands dragged, sinking into armored gaps and twisting cables as Gunmax ground desperately into him. The ninja used his greater weight to keep Gunmax pinned and braced his hands against the desktop as he worked the lighter Brave into it. Gunmax raked at his back, at his wings, called his name, yanked Shadowmaru's head down so hard his processor spun and smothered both their cries in a hard kiss as an overload rushed through both of them.

Shadowmaru felt his legs buckle as he sagged against Gunmax and the desk. He tasted something sharp and sweet against his lips. It trickled into the corner of his mouth and he licked it without thinking. It was fuel – he could feel a dull throbbing in his mouth where the mesh had been ripped open. Gunmax's entire frame purred when the biker leaned in and started sucking at the trail of fluid that stained the white metal dark. Shadowmaru made a tiny sound as the other mech cleaned him – he was still recovering from his system reboot. He could taste the liquid on Gunmax's lips. It was dizzying.

Gunmax slid his arms back around Shadowmaru's neck again and pushed him up. Shadowmaru wobbled before managing to stand although he had to keep his hands on the desk to remain that way. He felt weak._ Exposed._

Gunmax loosened his legs from around the shapeshifter's hips and slid his hands down to rest on either side of the star on Shadowmaru's chest.

"My turn," he said, his voice raw and husky, and shoved Shadowmaru backwards.

Shadowmaru's back hit the desk behind him. Gunmax swung a leg and managed to catch the nearest chair with it. He pushed it over and leaped off the desk he'd been perched on. Shadowmaru sank into it, his arms still braced on the desk behind him. Gunmax landed on his lap with a loud rev of his engine and started grinding. Shadowmaru groaned and let his head fall back, his entire frame pulsing in tune with the pounding of the heart he didn't physically possess and the static of Gunmax's body against his.

He couldn't think. He couldn't comprehend anything other than ecstasy. Gunmax kept an arm locked around his neck and resumed cleaning Shadowmaru's still bleeding mouth with his own even as the ninja gasped helplessly beneath him, the violet form still writhing against the hand that blazed trails of fire across his body, that twisted and tugged and snapped open armor plating and jacked into the connectors that flared beneath.

Shadowmaru's entire being coiled as another overload surged through him. He gripped the desk, his vision blackening. His frame was on fire. Every sensor in him lit at once, flooding him with data and burying his consciousness beneath the sound of his own cry.

Gunmax slumped on top of him, his own frame shuddering. Shadowmaru moaned something incomprehensible as tiny bolts of pleasure made his joints twitch as he slowly came to.

_Worth it._

The world coalesced. Something bumped against the winged mech's jaw; Gunmax's helmet. Shadowmaru dragged his arms off the desk and wrapped them around the other Brave's tapered middle. The biker didn't resist the embrace and instead rested his head against Shadowmaru's chest. Shadowmaru let his optics dim and set his chin on top of the biker's cap.

The tremors and soft rush of air from their overheated frames synced. For a moment it felt as though neither of them really ended.

"You missed your show," the shapeshifter mumbled into the quiet. He couldn't see the screen behind him but he imagined it had ended by now.

"Mh." Gunmax's chuckle was raspy. "Don't feel bad, **baby**. I was enjoying another one."

Shadowmaru felt himself fluster. Without thinking he retrieved one of Gunmax's now limp hands and brought it to his lips. The green mech stirred when Shadowmaru kissed the knuckles. Maybe he wanted to protest the tender treatment.

He didn't.

And Shadowmaru... felt _good_.

No, not because he'd been made to feel good and not even because he'd made Gunmax feel good. The main reason for Shadowmaru's overwhelming contentment was much simpler than that. And the reason was this: The frown Gunmax had worn earlier – that flat, troubled expression that didn't belong anywhere on the green mech's otherwise flawless face – was nowhere to be seen. Whatever had caused it, whatever far, unhappy memory had facilitated its creation had been thrown to the wayside. Shadowmaru's engine rumbled as he finished the kiss off with a brush of his lips against Gunmax's palm. The biker's fingers curled against him and he smiled.

It had been worth it, he decided, leaning down to finish by planting a softer kiss at the corner of Gunmax's carelessly grinning mouth. _Yes._

It had been well worth it indeed.


End file.
